Conclusion: The Museum of the Future and the Future of Museums

Abstract

This book and the contributions to this book look on the future of museums, by focusing on the museum of the future and by moving with further steps “beyond.” The chapters refer all to a specific set of questions that drive the analysis. For further discussion, the following propositions can be identified: (1) Museums continuously play and will play a role for art and society. As art and society are changing, these changes also must be reflected by the museums, their structures and processes. (2) Museums are (being) partially interconnected with culture, the tourism, and by this with the economy. But beyond such an economic dimension, museums (at least in principle) are (should be) also connected to knowledge production (research) and knowledge application (innovation) in the knowledge society, knowledge democracy, and knowledge economy. (3) Digital technologies open up new perspectives, but also expectations, how visitors may interact and interconnect with museums. As art is continuously exploring and experimenting with new forms, this also is (or should be) the case for museums. (4) One purpose of museums is to store (and preserve) knowledge. However, museums also must be organizations (locations) that engage in creating and producing knowledge and new knowledge, and by this, they are continuously of importance. (5) Museums have to engage in processes of virtualization. However, not everything is a question of technology only. (6) To be able to produce (new) knowledge, museums must engage in networks with artists and researchers, so to produce art and artistic research (in innovative combinations). Forms of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary art and research are here equally of importance. Finally, said in summary, the intertwining helix of museum of the future and future of museums will drive the development and evolution of museums further.